So I guess Christianity isn't for me...I'll just read Calvin and Hobbes instead

[badqueermonkey]

So I actually read the Book of Matthew for my class...and I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. While there are some beautful passages - the Sermon on the Mount as a prime example, I don't think I jive with Christianity at all and this brief foray into thinking I could be Christian is really pretty silly. This is for the following

Comments

[hermit_songs]

Hey, sorry, this is probably very presumptuous, seeing as I don't know you, but...before you run screaming away from Christianity due to a couple of real objections plus a couple of objections to straw men (your number 3, e.g., is a rather egregious oversimplification of Christian faith), give it a little more time, and maybe a little more reading. The Gospel According to St. Matthew is just that: the history of Jesus' life according to a decent, possibly divinely inspired, but fallible guy. There's a lot more to the Bible than that. Another thing that might be helpful is reading some secondary things--theologians, people's memoirs, etc. I think you'll find that there's a lot more diversity in the ways that people approach and experience faith than you seem to be giving Christianity credit for. I especially like Anne Lamott's "Travelling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith," and "Walking on Water: On Faith and Art" by Madeleine L'Engle. Some of C. S. Lewis is pretty good as well (and for a good laugh, you can always flip to the chapter on pederasty in "Mere Christianity).

Just a suggestion. Like I said, I don't know you, and I can't pretend to know how much thought and struggle and prayer has already gone into this for you, so I hope that I haven't belittled or hurt you in any way by contributing my thoughts. That's not my intent. And anyway, I think it's awesome that you gave church and the Bible an honest try. :)